East West Players, the nation's longest running professional theatre of color and the largest producer of Asian American artistic work, is hosting a discussion on race politics forum, Why Not Asian? Why Asian? Asian American Opportunities in American Theatre.
It's happening Monday, October 22 at the David Henry Hwang Theatre in Los Angeles. Limited seats are open to the public, but for those who can't make it, the forum will be streamed live on the East West Players website. Here are some more details:
LIVE STREAM: Why Not Asian? Why Asian? Asian American Opportunities in the American TheatreFor more information about the forum, visit the East West Players website.
Monday, October 22, 2012
2:00pm PDT / 5:00pm EDT
East West Players and Tim Dang, Producing Artistic Director, invites you to a frank discussion on race politics.
East West Players (EWP), the nation’s longest running professional theatre of color and the largest producer of Asian American artistic work, will lead a discussion on race politics in the American theatre on Monday, October 22, 2012 at 2:00 pm PDT/5:00 pm EDT at East West Players David Henry Hwang Theater in Little Tokyo Los Angeles.
This past July, the La Jolla Playhouse (LJP) set off a fire
storm when it presented a workshop production of a play entitled “The Nightingale” – set in a mythical China with several Chinese characters including the Emperor – the mixed cast consisted of several white males, no Asian American males and only two Asian Americans in a cast of twelve.
The panel will include the artistic directors of four of the leading theaters in Southern California: Christopher Ashley (La Jolla Playhouse), Sheldon Epps (Pasadena Playhouse), Marc Masterson (South Coast Repertory), and Michael Ritchie (Center Theatre Group). The discussion will be moderated by Linda Oku, (corporate diversity consultant for Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit
organizations).
The forum will focus on issues of inclusion: How can Asian American talent (writers, directors, designers, performers) be more visible/participatory in the American Theatre process? What is the role of artistic vision in a community of changing demographics? How can we propel a nationwide movement to advance greater diversity in the American Theatre? What is the strategy we can walk away with after this discussion?